THE RUGBY GAME

Feilding Star, Volume 9, Issue 3798, 16 August 1932, Page 5

THE RUGBY GAME

Footballers Protest A FEILDING DECISION I.AST SATURDAY'S MATCH OLD ROYS DISSATISFIED WITH THE REFEREE DEPUTATION TO RiITGBY COUNCIL Members .and supporters r,f xlie FeiUling High School Olil Roys Football Club decided layt night to make i' protest To the. Maihuvatu R.ugbv FiUo n Council against the say in which. hist -Saturday's game was handled bv the referee, Air Hancock. A deputation will wait on the Council to-night. At tlio special meeting hold last night. there was a. large attendance: Mr G. .1. Fitzpatrick (Vice-Presi-<lem) was in the chair. M r Noel lleinney explained that he had called the nuotin.g in. response in requests from players who were very dissatisfied and sore aibotst several of the- decisions of the referee i n the game with bis Top*. The Chairman said ho was always careful not to criticise the referee in jreporting football matches, tjhougli ho thought the referee should he subject to criticism just -is the players wore. He congratulated the Old Roys o:u the splendid football they had played ever .since they had gojio into tho senior grade, mentioning as a signiiean.t fact that the greens always drew tile largest gate. Referring to the referees generally the Chairman did hot see why these officials should he made i'-.to idols, and ho thought the Old Boys Club had tho right to protest agams-t wrong decisions. Ln Saturday's gam*, he had no hesitation in saying, tho teforoo made two bad decisions to liis (tho speaker's) knowledge mod m each ease the had decisions gave a try to the Kia Too team. The OJd Boy s lost the match owing to the bad .decisions cf the referee, and Though old men would say “the piny is the thing.” the players would not lie purple-blooded New Zealanders if they did not have a sense of indi gnat inn at. the way- in • which the referee had handled the game. _\fN. Penney said ho had been instructed by bis team to- object to Air Haneork if i t< - were appointed I',, take the game but a-t the Rugby Union meeting last Tuesday night Air Seeker wan sot down, as the referee. It wa s not until Fridaynight that it became known that Air Hancock was to take the game when it was too la.te to object. It appeared that Air- Seeker became indisposed and thus Air Hancock was substituted. After discussion, a motion was carried- protesting against The -appointment of Air Hancock a 3 referee at a date too late for the club to protest. A. resolution was also adopted asking the Rugby Union not to appoint Air Hancock avferec tor any future games in which Feildio.g Old Boys are playing. The meeting- then discussed the question of asking for the game- to bo replayed. N Mr F. S. Hewitt- supported the Chairman in pointing out. that the referee’s decision was final on matters of fact and there via-.-, no use in protesting against the decisions. The meeting eventually decided to emphatically place the facts be. fore the Rugby Council and a do. putation headed by Mr Fitzpatrick, will wait on this parent body.